In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian skilled professionals and employers have reported that salary packages are no longer the primary factor influencing employees' decisions to remain with a company. This insight comes from the 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide, which surveyed 2,014 skilled professionals and 832 employers in Malaysia.

Conducted over six weeks in late 2023, the survey asked employees intending to seek new opportunities within the next twelve months to identify the top three reasons for wanting to leave their current employment. Across Asia, the survey discovered that the desire for fresh challenges had supplanted low salary packages as the leading reason.

In contrast, a similar survey conducted in 2022 highlighted low salary packages as the main driver behind employees' decisions to leave their jobs.

Furthermore, for employees who opted to stay, flexible work options emerged unanimously as the most significant factor influencing their decision, ranking even higher than salary considerations. Among these committed employees, good work-life balance and compatibility with managers and colleagues were rated second and third, respectively.

Marc Burrage, managing director at Hays Asia, emphasized the importance of fostering a positive work environment, embracing positive values, and offering engaging roles to win the loyalty of employees in Malaysia. He stressed the need for leaders to engage in discussions with their workforce and for employees to explore ways to enhance their value during times of disruption. Collaboration, he noted, is essential for survival, requiring both parties to approach challenges with open minds and adaptability.

Hays, a global leader in workforce solutions and specialist recruitment, released the 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide, which provides salary and sector overviews based on real data and surveys of skilled professionals across Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.